A Familiar Role for Me (2)
Bomb declaration. For reference, Hoyeol's way of communicating was no slouch compared to Raymon Sean's. It was often packed with implied meanings. Realizations tended to hit only after everything had played out. But not this time.
Seong Hyunjun whispered to Yoon Sugyeom.
"S-Senior. There must be some hidden meaning to it, right?!"
What came back was a headshake.
"Who knows. Beats me."
I am one of the upper demon kings of the Ten Thrones.
Direct. Blunt. No room for twisted interpretations.
The most explosive reaction came from a senior mage of the Mage Tower. Bensy William.
"So that's why you had no blood, no tears...!!"
...Was this guy taking it at face value?
Tsk.
"Sigh."
Banggrit swallowed a sigh and jabbed Bensy's side. Only then did Bensy notice the piercing stares and snap his mouth shut.
But the shock wasn't limited to Bensy. As if he'd anticipated even that response, Hoyeol continued smoothly.
"I returned to the Mage Tower after slaying Buer, one of the upper demon kings of the Ten Thrones, on the Arcana Continent. The Demon Realm must have interpreted my actions as usurping the tenth throne Buer once held."
"...!!!"
The Mage Tower and AAU alike were stunned.
Park Minjae pressed Hoyeol for confirmation. An upper demon king—another term for one of the Ten Thrones...
"...Did you really take down Buer, Chief Commander? In real-world time, barely a day. Even by Arcana Continent time, not even a few days have passed."
The presence of an upper demon king was on another level entirely. AAU had learned this through none other than Hoyeol himself.
The mages flinched too. In the Crystal Hall, only two men remained unmoved: the man himself, Hoyeol, and the senior black mage, Matis Din Karl.
That one.
Matis eyed the fluctuating affinity for mana emanating from Hoyeol. Mana affinity visible only through magical tools was rippling so vividly it filled his vision...
Proof of blackening.
Blackening was a surge from the past. Considering the sheer volume of Hoyeol's affinity for mana, the aftermath of that past resurfacing could have easily shrouded the Arcana Continent in darkness.
Matis nodded.
Perhaps even an upper demon king wouldn't stand a chance.
Even knowing this, he still couldn't comprehend it. Hoyeol looked perfectly fine right now. No one would guess he'd undergone blackening.
Blackening is something no one overcomes lightly...
Matis stared at Hoyeol, then froze. Their eyes met—had Hoyeol noticed his gaze?
In that instant, Matis questioned himself.
...Are those the eyes of the chief I know?
But the moment passed, rendering the profound question moot. Hoyeol was the same as always.
Ah, I've unwittingly committed a breach out of needless concern.
Matis hurriedly bowed to Hoyeol.
Hoyeol withdrew his gaze and spoke.
"Did I not say? Be vigilant, but there is no need for fear."
"...!"
"Trifles like demons hold no worth to revere. Even if it be the true king of demons, it is no exception."
True king of demons. He meant the upper demon kings.
Hoyeol added,
"Moreover, they are already all but surrounded."
...Hold on. The pace was breakneck!
True to form, Hoyeol's words were hard to keep up with. Upper demon kings reduced to cornered prey in the blink of an eye?
For understanding's sake, they needed some pacing. Park Minjae calmly summarized.
"So what you're saying, Yusra Chief Overseer, is... By slaying the tenth-ranked Buer, you've claimed a throne among the upper demon kings of the Ten Thrones."
Hoyeol replied as always.
"A throne I wouldn't take even if offered. Indeed."
At that answer, Seong Hyunjun thought,
Demon king, huh. Any other player would've strutted around like they'd won the lottery. Still so incorruptibly pure, uncaring for fame or fortune.
Seong Hyunjun whispered,
"Demon king. Sounds cool just saying it, right?"
"...Dude, your vibe's hitting peak puberty storm."
"I'm still young! Right at that middle-school sweet spot. Second year, even..."
Thankfully for someone, the chit-chat didn't drag on.
Park Minjae nodded and spoke.
"We can't say for sure if that's what triggered it, but the regular update announced the Demon King Struggle, Chief Overseer. With the Arcana Continent and reality surrounded by the Demon Realm ahead of it, sure..."
That was why the Crystal Hall was steeped in anguish. Upper demon kings could manifest without sacrifices now. Who knew how many challengers would vie for their thrones? Shrimp shells were bound to crack in a whale fight.
But Hoyeol calmly countered,
"Did I not say?"
"...Pardon?"
"I am one of the upper demon kings of the Ten Thrones."
Hoyeol's gaze shifted from Park Minjae to the assembly.
"I can guess what you all fear in this Demon King Struggle. Yet am I not at the forefront? Yes, the daggers of countless challengers will aim first for me."
Hoyeol added matter-of-factly,
"The tenth throne is such a seat."
...Wait. Hearing it laid out, it clicked.
Challengers would naturally target the lowest-ranked demon king first. That reversed the encirclement perfectly.
Bensy and Banggrit muttered.
"So as demon king, you're gonna sweep all those challengers clean...? Not a metaphor—he's the one encircling them. No, it's a perfect trap beyond mere encirclement!"
Of course, the implications didn't end there.
"Moreover, I now have cause to draw steel against the upper demon kings. As the king of the tenth throne, I too gain the right to challenge them."
"...!"
"That is why I deigned not to refuse the throne of inferior kin."
Hoyeol's eyes gleamed coldly.
"One cannot afford to miss even a single prey, after all."
*
Think back to Grandfell's temperament, peerless under heaven.
Thanks to that incorruptible purity of his, even the throne of Yusra—treasure island overflowing with gold and jewels—I'd turned down.
And that's not all? Frost, the great northern imperial city? Declined. Even the title from the emperor, the tower lord seat? Same story.
Me, of all people, an upper demon king of the Ten Thrones?
The king of demons? As if I'd covet such a seat.
Above all, to Grandfell, demons were mere prey. To the hunter.
How fitting a title is "king of prey"?
In that sense, you've endured much, Grandfell.
Yet Grandfell had claimed the title before others. For a greater purpose.
The justification to net all that prey in one fell swoop during the Demon King Struggle.
"Demon king. The ring to it isn't bad."
Demon king (魔王). Not because it's a word that'd thrill any chuunibyou.
Clink—
I set down my teacup. A green tea teabag dangled from it, naturally.
But this wasn't my steeped green tea.
"Even if it suits you well, that might be presumptuous, no?"
Marcelo was getting the hang of using oddities now.
Green tea only available via rocket delivery...
Just as I'd taught him. Putting oddities to excellent use.
In Tower Lord Marcelo's office, I eyed the teabag box on the side table and murmured,
"Appreciation is ever a personal liberty, Marcelo."
...What am I, a work of art?
This guy's mouth knew no crisis awareness. I could tell from how he wanted to chat.
"Hearing your jest eases my mind somewhat."
Not wrong, if you think about it.
Checkmate.
I was an upper demon king of the Ten Thrones. Positioned to simultaneously choke out demons eyeing those thrones.
But.
The problem is me playing king first.
Checkmate cut both ways.
Grandfell, who deemed demons lesser than pups, stayed unflappable as ever. But those who grasped my plan couldn't help but worry.
"Are you truly alright with this, my lord?"
Clink.
A brief savoring of green tea across from him, and Marcelo broached cautiously.
Now Tower Lord, head of the Mage Tower, yet his deference to me, the chief, remained unchanged.
"This storm looks fiercer than any before. And the intent is impure. It's a stage laid not for the Arcana Continent or our reality, but for the Demon Realm."
Return to reality.
Heading to the Crystal Hall, I'd checked the regular update details.
As expected since the quest [Demon King Struggle: Master of the Ten Thrones] popped up, Raymon Sean had exceeded predictions.
"You mean Behemoth's Maw."
"Yes."
"I witnessed it myself this expedition."
"Truly?"
Per Marcelo, the Mage Tower had long identified Behemoth's Maw.
Marcelo closed his eyes briefly.
"I once heard in this office. Akshan demon hunters had given the tower leadership a cryptic warning about Behemoth's Maw..."
Hunter's instinct. Our Akshan seniors had sniffed out the Demon Realm's schemes early and prepared for holy war.
They'd warned the Empire and Mage Tower alike of its dangers.
"I curse my past self for not heeding it closely."
Marcelo included. No one had dwelled on it then.
Akshan's reputation at the time made it understandable.
Except the dwarves we directly aided...
Factions friendly to Akshan that I knew of? None sprang to mind.
I answered Marcelo generously.
"Democultists infested the tower leadership back then. Even had you spoken up, Marcelo, they would've sabotaged it. No need for self-reproach."
"...True. I'd forgotten how deep it ran."
Nicely put: joint chief. Truthfully: parachuted in.
Even I, first stepping into the tower, had seen the elders' contradictions. Marcelo had harbored deep resentment toward them then.
I continued,
"The moment you deem it late is oft the earliest, Marcelo."
"Your words ring true. Then surely..."
Ever the meticulous Marcelo.
No trace of worry in his eyes. They gleamed as he proposed a solution.
"Sealing Behemoth's Maw is priority. AAU reports say Demon Realm denizens will pour out unrestricted now."
I chuckled inwardly.
No wonder Grandfell loves offloading to him.
Marcelo was spot on. To halt the Demon Realm's full erosion, sealing the Maw was best.
Of course, no concrete method came to mind.
I relayed the tale of the Demon Realm lich Discus gnawed by Behemoth's Maw.
Not firsthand, so I couldn't describe vividly. Yet Marcelo grasped the crux.
"A living entity? All the more troublesome."
The Maw no longer attacked demon monsters post-update.
Simple implication: Prod it carelessly, and its aggression might turn fully on us.
Marcelo, frustrated, reached for his teacup.
"...Ah."
He'd emptied it long ago, forgotten in the tension.
Of course he felt stifled. Demons pouring from the Maw, no clear way to stop them.
But fret not, Marcelo.
I spoke calmly.
"An unfair battlefield."
"I'd deny it, but yes."
"Then simply change the field."
"...Pardon, my lord?"
Marcelo startled. Obvious, yet I didn't gloat.
This wasn't my—Lee Hoyeol's—solution, after all.
"For true checkmate."
"...For?"
"I shall enter the Demon Realm."